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NASB | Matthew 16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 16:23 But Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on things of God, but on things of man." |
Bible Question:
He said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!" Do you think you know why Jesus spoke to Peter in that way? Have you ever spoken to someone in that way? Have you ever been tempted to turn to someone and say, "Do that, Satan!"? It is evident that we are influenced by both God and Satan in what we think and say and do. You are thinking of David, and Judas Iscariot, and Ananias and Sapphira, and now, Peter. And isn't it sad? Jesus had recently said to Peter, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah" (Mat 16:17). And now he seems to be identifying him with Satan. I have asked several questions here, but the essential pair is this: Do you recognize the influence Satan in our lives, and how do you confront it when you see it in a brother or a sister? |
Bible Answer: Aixen7z4, Just as a followup, here is more useful commentary on Matthew 16:23 (Mark 8:33)... Matthew 16:23 "But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." [English Standard Version] -------------------------------------------- "16:23 Get behind Me, Satan! The harshness of this rebuke contrasts sharply with Christ's words of commendation in vv. 17-19. Jesus suggested that Peter was being a mouthpiece for Satan. Jesus' death was part of God's sovereign plan (Acts 2:23; 4:27,28). "It pleased the Lord to bruise Him" (Is. 53:10). Christ had come with the express purpose of dying as an atonement for sin (John 12:27). And those who would thwart His mission were doing Satan's work." (1) "Matthew 16:23 - But he turned, and said--in the hearing of the rest; for Mark (Mar_8:33) expressly says, "When He had turned about and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter"; perceiving that he had but boldly uttered what others felt, and that the check was needed by them also." "Get thee behind me, Satan--the same words as He had addressed to the Tempter (Luk_4:8); for He felt in it a satanic lure, a whisper from hell, to move Him from His purpose to suffer. So He shook off the Serpent, then coiling around Him, and "felt no harm" (Act_28:5). How quickly has the "rock" turned to a devil! The fruit of divine teaching the Lord delighted to honor in Peter; but the mouthpiece of hell, which he had in a moment of forgetfulness become, the Lord shook off with horror." "thou art an offence--a stumbling-block." "unto me--"Thou playest the Tempter, casting a stumbling-block in My way to the Cross. Could it succeed, where wert thou? and how should the Serpent's head be bruised?" "for thou savourest not--thou thinkest not." "the things that be of God, but those that be of men--"Thou art carried away by human views of the way of setting up Messiah's kingdom, quite contrary to those of God." This was kindly said, not to take off the sharp edge of the rebuke, but to explain and justify it, as it was evident Peter knew not what was in the bosom of his rash speech." (2) "Mat 16:23 - Get thee behind me - Out of my sight. It is not improbable, Peter might step before him, to stop him. Satan - Our Lord is not recorded to have given so sharp a reproof to any other of his apostles on any occasion. He saw it was needful for the pride of Peter's heart, puffed up with the commendation lately given him. Perhaps the term Satan may not barely mean, Thou art my enemy, while thou fanciest thyself most my friend; but also, Thou art acting the very part of Satan, both by endeavouring to hinder the redemption of mankind, and by giving me the most deadly advice that can ever spring from the pit of hell. Thou savourest not - Dost not relish or desire. We may learn from hence, That whosoever says to us in such a case, Favour thyself, is acting the part of the devil: That the proper answer to such an adviser is, Get thee behind me: That otherwise he will be an offence to us, an occasion of our stumbling, if not falling: That this advice always proceeds from the not relishing the things of God, but the things of men. Yea, so far is this advice, favour thyself, from being fit for a Christian either to give or take, that if any man will come after Christ, his very first step is to deny, or renounce himself: in the room of his own will, to substitute the will of God, as his one principle of action." (3) --------------------------------------- (1) The MacArthur Study Bible, 1997, Word Publishing, John MacArthur, pgs. 1423-1424 (2) Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary (3) John Wesley's Explanatory Notes |